Hill End Lane provides accommodation, care and support for up to seven males with a learning disability and or a mental health diagnosis. At the time of our inspection there were six people living at the service.

At the last inspection on 05 November 2016, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe being supported at the service. Staff were knowledgeable about how to protect people from harm. They had received effective safeguarding training.

There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs when required. Safe recruitment processes were in place to help ensure that staff were suitable to work in this type of service.

Staff had received training and an ongoing support to help with their development. Staff were positive about the training and support they received.

People were involved in the development and review of their care and how it was provided. People had detailed care plans which clearly documented their individual needs, preferences and choices. Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing had been assessed and there were effective risk management plans in place which mitigated risk. All care plans and risk assessments had been regularly reviewed to ensure that they were reflective of people's current needs.

People were supported to make decisions about their care and support. Decisions made on behalf of people were in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Consent was gained from people before any support was provided.

People were supported to access a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health and wellbeing. Care plans detailed people’s support needs in relation to their health. There were effective systems in place for the safe storage and management of medicine and regular audits were completed. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People had positive relationships with staff who supported them. Staff were supportive and respectful. People's privacy and dignity was maintained and respected. Staff knew people's needs and preferences and provided personalised support. People were supported to participate in meaningful activities and hobbies that were of interest to them.

People and staff found the registered manager supportive and approachable and were very positive about how they managed the service. People felt listened to and said that staff were responsive to any concerns they raised. Quality monitoring systems and processes were used effectively to make improvements when required.

We carried out an announced inspection on 5 November 2015.

The service provided care to adults in their own homes. The building was composed of a large house which had been divided into individual studio flats. People who were being supported by the service had Asperger’s syndrome and or associated health conditions. At the time of the inspection, 6 people were being supported by the service.

The service had a new manager, who was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The provider also worked at the service.

People’s needs had been assessed and care plans were in place detailing their individual needs, preferences and choices. There were risk assessments in place that informed staff how to support people safely and where possible to reduce or mitigate identified risks. There were systems in place to safeguard people from the potential risks of harm.

People were happy with the service they received and spoke positively about the quality of support they received.

The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and there were sufficient staff to support people safely. Staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff obtained people’s consent prior to supporting people and a consent policy was being developed to ensure a consistent approach.

Staff received support, supervision and appropriate training relevant to their roles. They were able to demonstrate how they supported people and had the skills to do so. People were supported by staff who were caring and respectful. People who wished to were also supported to pursue hobbies and interests. People were supported to access health services including GP, opticians and dentist appointments when they needed.

There was a process in place for the investigation of complaints. Staff told us they encouraged feedback from people as a way of improving the standards within the service.

The provider had effective quality monitoring processes in place and records were stored securely.